From Now On Our Troubles Will Be Out of Sight
by AliceSloane13
Summary: It's Christmas Eve - and as always is the case - Nicky and Red can't possibly do things the easy way.


A/N: Happy Holidays to everyone : ) First of all, I'm not nearly as ambitious as Jo this season so there definitely won't be a story a day for you all from me. However, I've been working on this one and thought I'd post it now. It's supposed to be three parts, but just in case I don't finish it in time for Christmas (or ever) you can read it as a stand-alone. I hope you all enjoy!

XOXOXO

Red slid her key in the lock of the door and let herself back into the apartment. She had been almost to the car when she realized that she'd forgotten the chopped garlic that she needed. When she entered the apartment, the room was fairly dark. She figured that Nicky must have already left.

Nicky had told her that she was getting together with some friends from work and that she might stop by Yuri's when she was done, if it wasn't too late. With promises to text Red if she was going to go home instead, they had parted ways, much to Red's chagrin. She wanted Nicky with her, but knew that she had to give her the freedom to make up her own mind.

Fumbling in the dark, Red turned on the small light by the door and a dim yellow light lit up the room before her. She was surprised to see Nicky sitting in the corner of the couch. Her knees were to her chest and her forehead resting on them.

"I thought you were going out?" Red asked, surprised. She put her purse and the bag of bread and honey down on the table by the door and walked over to Nicky. Sitting down next to her, she put a hand on the younger woman's back in concern. She didn't miss the way Nicky's muscles tensed beneath her fingers - something was wrong.

"I'm going in a little bit," Nicky said, voice muffled from not lifting her head. The scratchiness of her words was a sure sign that she'd been crying. One of the downsides of having such a loving mother was that she couldn't hide anything. There wasn't really anything that she kept to herself, but tonight she didn't want to share.

Rubbing her back, Red recognized the blanket Nicky had wrapped around herself. It was hers from prison. She had given it to Nicky when she was released. She had always just assumed that Nicky had passed it on when she'd left, but here it was. How she had overlooked it amongst the rest of Nicky's meager prison-possessions when she picked her up was a mystery.

"I haven't seen this in a while," Red commented, tugging playfully on the multicolored blanket. "I didn't realize you'd brought it home with you," she added gently. It was a sweet gesture and one that didn't go overlooked.

Nicky was more sentimental than she let people think. She held onto things that other people might overlook. When she was given something, especially from those she cared about, she cherished the intent behind them.

Nicky shrugged, but still didn't look up. The truth was that the blanket had always felt like home; it felt like Red had left a piece of herself behind for Nicky to hold onto. It was a sense of security that she just hadn't been able to part with. Red had become and always would be home to her. "Why are you here?" she asked, ignoring Red's curiosity.

Red continued to rub Nicky's back as she spoke. "I forgot to take the garlic for the pagach." It was a dish she had been making since she was a little girl. She had always been drawn to the meaning behind it. Even in it's simplicity it was her favorite dish to serve. A simple loaf of bread dipped first in honey, for the sweet times, and then garlic, for the bitter.

It was supposed to be the first thing you ate after Christmas Eve, but it was tradition in her own family to eat it at the end of supper. Her mother had shared her own mother's recipe full of tucked away secrets that their family had passed down. It became tradition for Red and her mother to bake together until her mother's death.

The boys never had the focus to bake with her and now that she had Nicky she had wanted to share that experience with her. Unfortunately taking on as much overtime as she could left very little time for baking.

Pulling just a tiny bit away at Red's words, Nicky pointed to the kitchen. "You left it on the table. You remember the bread and honey, but you forgot the garlic? How the fuck do you not remember the worst smelling of the three?"

She hadn't thought Red had come back for her. As far as Red knew Nicky had been long gone. Still, despite trying to push Red away, she wanted to be missed. She couldn't help but further her pity by comparing herself to the forgotten garlic. Red had come back for that.

"Thank you," Red said, ignoring Nicky's questions. They didn't matter. It was just words to delay and distract. She had felt Nicky pull away, even though she knew Nicky thought she was sneaky. "Wanna tell me why you're crying?" Red asked knowingly.

Nicky pulled away further and let out a low noise of contempt, as she turned her body away from Red. "No."

She slid her hand up to Nicky's shoulder and squeezed gently. Standing up she headed towards the phone instead of the kitchen table. Red stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes when she heard a muffled sob coming from Nicky. Nothing hurt more than her children in pain. Nicky was no exception to that.

Nicky just wanted Red to leave. It was taking all she had to keep from breaking into sobs. She wouldn't do that. She just couldn't. Red needed to go spend time with her family and she just needed to grow up. It was too late to try and explain now and she felt foolish for the state she was in.

"Vasily, listen. I'm not going to make it tonight." Sighing she rubbed her forehead at his concern. "I'll see you all tomorrow for dinner." She smiled at his confusion, "Yes, everything's okay. There's just some place I need to be." She looked over her shoulder, watching Nicky. "Son, everything is fine. Alright, you too. I'll see you then." Red hung up the phone.

Nicky had heard Red talking on the phone, but her back had been to her and Nicky couldn't make out the muted words. When Red sat back down next to her, she felt her shoulders start to shake against her wishes.

"Come here, Nicky. Let me see you," Red urged, running a hand down the back of Nicky's head. It frustrated her that the younger woman didn't know how to accept comfort when offered in moments like these. Nicky no longer had an issue asking for it when she just wanted to be close, but when something was wrong it was a different matter completely.

Nicky shook her head. "Just go," she said, still speaking with her head turned down. Her voice wobbled - a sure sign that her resolve was breaking down.

Rolling her eyes, Red was taking no more of her nonsense. She slid an arm beneath Nicky's knees. The younger woman was curled up into such a small ball, that Red easily pivoted her around until she was facing her. She tugged on Nicky's legs until Nicky finally gave in and allowed her legs to drape across Red's lap.

Covering her face with her hands, Nicky was shaking all over from the tears she had been holding in. Overwhelmed by the warmth of Red's body Nicky finally broke. She leaned into Red and tried to hide against her.

It didn't matter what it was that was wrong. Red stopped questioning her and just pulled her into her arms. She noticed that Nicky didn't even try to resist. "I've got you," she promised, not really knowing what else to say.

She hoisted Nicky against herself, rearranging her to sit between her legs. Red adjusted their new position until Nicky was even closer. She could hold her both closer and tighter now. Her blanket had fallen off of Nicky's shoulder and she rearranged it, tucking it around her so that she could feel the pressure of it surrounding her. She leaned down and kissed Nicky's forehead.

"Red?" Nicky asked, hesitating. It was the fearful question of a child.

It had been such a long time since Nicky had used her name. Once they'd been reunited after Litchfield it had been nothing but _ma._ Now, to hear Nicky revert to her name left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

She pulled Nicky a little closer against her, as though that could make it right again. "What is it malyshka?" Red asked, trying to remind Nicky that she was hers.

Nicky didn't respond. She reached up and grabbed onto the neck of Red's shirt and clutched it in her hand. She just wanted to feel like she belonged. She didn't want to feel alone.

Red cupped Nicky's hand in her own, but kept it where it was. "I'm here. I've got you," she urged. This was starting to worry her. Sometimes Nicky got into moods where she just wanted to cuddle, but this was different. Something was wrong, she was sure of that now more than ever.

Nicky nuzzled her forehead against Red's jaw until the older woman kissed it once more. "Nicky," she urged softly. "What is it? Tell me honey."

"Hold me," Nicky pleaded, even though Red's arms hadn't left her. She couldn't get close enough and she needed to know that she belonged somewhere.

Red squeezed her and tried to wait patiently until Nicky was ready to talk. "You know you can tell me anything right?" Red whispered against her ear.

Nicky nodded, but her tears didn't stop. She squeezed her eyes shut and just tried to focus on how tightly Red was holding her. It felt protective. It felt like she was _worth_ enough to be protected.

"Does it have something to do with why you wouldn't go to Yuri's with me?" Red asked tentatively. She had been surprised when Nicky passed at the family gathering for colleagues. It wasn't like her to pass up the opportunity to embrace her new found family.

Christmas would be the third holiday that Nicky had spent with the Reznikovs. Halloween had been the perfect introduction. It was silly enough to not be too serious and fun enough that Nicky could be herself without being self-conscious. Thanksgiving had been a more serious affair, Nicky had seemed to find a small place for herself amongst the family. Red had hoped that Christmas would convince her that she was a permanent fixture in their lives now.

Nicky didn't say a word, but that was enough of an answer for Red. She drew her knees up as best she could in their position and tried to make herself smaller.

"Oh baby," Red cooed and pulled Nicky away from her so she could look at her. She cupped Nicky's face and refused to let her turn away. "Why didn't you come to me? Why do you always hold onto your fears so tightly?"

Shrugging Nicky looked down. She had stopped sobbing, but tears still freely danced down her cheeks. "I don't know. I've never had anyone to go to. My fears were always my own and there wasn't anyone that cared enough to-"

"I care," Red said, interrupting her. "Look at me Nicky," she growled. "You are not alone any longer. I'm your mother. We've always been open with one another. When did that stop?"

Nicky let out a rough pained sound. "I know you care. I just… It's hard for me. I still don't always know when I should come to you or when I should just deal with it on my own. I've been alone most of my life Red."

"Never Nicky," Red said, low and dangerous. "You don't deal with anything on your own. You should know by now that I won't let you lean on me when you can handle something yourself, but you still come to me. We'll figure it out together. I don't like to see you hurting. Do you understand me?"

Nicky nodded, wiping tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. It was a stalling tactic that allowed her to avoid eye contact for a small amount of time. "I understand," she said meekly - feeling as though she had let Red down somehow. "I'm sorry."

Red sighed, brushing away the apology. "Why didn't you want to come with me tonight? Be honest - you're not going to hurt my feelings," Red said. She brushed a hand across Nicky's head. A familiar yet pointless gesture. Nicky's hair would never do what you wanted it to.

Nicky shrugged. She grabbed Red's hand away from her face and pulled it against her chest hugging it as though it were some sort of comfort toy. "I don't know. It just didn't feel right," she admitted. Those weren't the right words - they didn't tell the whole truth, but Nicky was struggling to open up.

Looking at her curiously, Red tried to understand what Nicky meant. "Why didn't it feel right?" She waited, but Nicky was still struggling. She spoke with an understanding tone even though the thought of the words hurt her more than she cared to admit. "Is it because we're not you're family?"

Her head snapped up and Nicky searched Red's eyes. She knew her own were filled with confusion and doubt. She had hurt Red and she needed to fix it - now. "No, not at all. Geeze Red," she said, and pulled Red's hand closer with each word, "it's because _I'm_ not family."

"What are you talking about?" Red said, stiffening in response to Nicky's words. Had she not made it clear that Nicky was a daughter to her? That she had been accepted and was wanted by the whole family? They had battled these doubts for _years_ in prison, but she hadn't seen that loss of confidence or doubt in Nicky in such a long time.

Biting her lip, Nicky worked through the words until she was ready to explain. "I know you love me. I do. It's just that, you missed out on so many holidays with your family - your _real_ family - that I wanted to give you guys that. You don't need me tagging along making things weird. I'm a grown adult - I can take care of myself."

"You can take care of yourself. Ha. Is that what this is? You sitting in the dark, clutching onto my blanket, and crying alone on Christmas Eve?" Red asked. She shook her head and seeing Nicky's fearful gaze softened her tone. "Seeing you like this hurts me Nicky." Before she could continue Nicky cut her off.

"I'm not trying to hurt you Red. I'm trying to give you something here," Nicky said in frustration. She needed Red to listen and understand. "I got to have you for four Christmases and I don't know how many you missed with your sons, but you needed this time with them. They need it too I'm sure."

Red raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Is that what you thought you were doing? Giving me back lost time with my family?" This girl was unbelievable.

Nicky nodded and wouldn't meet her gaze. She knew how much she valued her time with Red. It only made sense that her own children would feel that way. She hadn't been the reason Red had been in prison, but she had gotten to share time with her that they hadn't. She couldn't help but feel like she had been responsible for that.

Sighing, Red hugged Nicky and tucked her head against the space between her neck and her shoulder. "Listen to me and don't interrupt me this time. It's a sweet gesture, but I'm never going to get that time back. I missed holidays with them while they were growing up. You can't give me those years back. As for _real_ family - I missed holidays with you too. Now we're all free and I can have all of you -all of my children - together."

Sitting up, Nicky looked at her. Inspecting her face for any hesitancy or doubt. "You really mean that Red?" The blanket fell from her shoulders, but neither cared about that now.

"Nicky, I really mean it and enough with this Red business. That's not my name. I'm your mother dammit. You're mine, kid - you don't get to hole yourself up here out of fear or guilt that you shouldn't even have. Those missing years - they're not your burden to carry," Red promised, wishing that Nicky didn't have this innate draw towards taking on any guilt, real or imagined.

Nicky's cheeks flushed red and she looked down bashfully. "It's probably not too late if you still want to go. I didn't mean to ruin tonight for you. I could drive you over there if you wanted," she offered. She didn't really want to go. She needed time to process all of what Red had just said.

"You could drive me? Not if we wanted to get there alive," Red teased. "It's okay Nicky, let's just stay home tonight. We'll see them tomorrow." She squeezed the back of Nicky's neck, feeling how tense she was.

Nicky sat up and looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "Are you sure?" She felt all twisted and mixed up. Everything they had talked about was still swirling around in her mind, trying to untangle and fall into place, but there was also a new sense of confusion. Nicky was so happy to have the time alone with Red, but she felt like she had stolen this night from everyone else. She had circled back onto blaming herself and didn't know how to stop.

Cupping Nicky's face in her hands, Red leaned forward making sure that Nicky would listen. "Stop overthinking everything. You have done absolutely nothing wrong honey. I'm happy to be here with you and to be honest I'm glad this happened. I would have loved to see the boys tonight, but you needed this and that's important to me too. We still have tomorrow to spend time with them. Nothing has been ruined and I'm not upset. They won't be either."

"I love you," Nicky said, her voice was raw and cracking. She thrust her arms around Red and cried against her shoulder. "No one has ever..." she tried to get out.

Red held her close and rubbed her back soothingly. "I know sweetheart, but that's never going to happen again. You have people now Nicky. You have _me_ and I will never stop loving you."

The pain would never lessen for Red during these moments of doubt and pain that Nicky experienced. She deserved better. God help Marka if they ever faced off against one another. Red had enough anger and resentment that she would have no problems putting her in her place and making her realize what she had done. Nicky might be healing, but as far as the big picture went, Marka had come incredibly close to breaking Nicky as a child. Red would never let Marka hurt Nicky again.

Curled up against Red, listening to her words, feeling her arms around her - Nicky allowed herself to just be expelling the few remaining tears with gentle sobs. It was her way of trying to release the unpleasant feelings she had been harbouring and a way to accept the comfort Red so freely offered.

"Nicky," Red said, softly once Nicky had seemed to finally calm back down. "Come sit in front of me and I'll do your shoulders. They're up to your ears with tension." She kissed her on the forehead unable to sate her own need to nourish their bond.

"Don't wanna move," Nicky answered. Red was comfortable and she had just started to accept what Red had been trying to make her understand. It was a feeling she wanted to prolong.

"Mmm, I know honey, but you're gonna get a headache," Red warned.

It was enough for Nicky to slump to the floor. She slid out of Red's arms without ever standing or sitting up. Nicky drew her knees up and rested her forehead on them. She felt Red's warm hands slip onto her shoulders and pull her back against the couch.

"Come here so I can reach you," Red said, as she tugged. She started to thumb her way down Nicky's muscles, looking for the knot that she knew she'd find. Her fingers kept slipping and it was hard to tell. She leaned forward and grabbed the bottom of Nicky's shirt. "Take this off," she instructed.

Batting Red's hands away, Nicky slipped the shirt over her head. There would be zero complaints from her. Feeling Red dig her fingers into her muscles always felt better with the unbarred contact. She sat up and leaned forward a little bit.

Red had discovered Nicky's trigger points after just a handful of tension headaches. She leaned forward and ran her thumbs along the outside of Nicky's shoulder blades, starting at a spot between her spine and blade and moving up along the muscles.

Nicky cried out when Red hit a particularly sore spot. She'd found it almost instantly. Nicky whimpered in pain as Red's thumb applied pressure. She knew better than to complain - the more it hurt now the better she would feel in the long run.

Placing a hand on Nicky's shoulder, she tugged it back into a straighter position. She used her thumb to rub deep circles on the knot. Pointedly ignoring the pained noises Nicky was making. She worked steadily at easing the muscle back down feeling it roll and crackle beneath her thumb.

The muscle began to relax and Nicky groaned in relief as Red's hands rubbed more gently. "I called Marka," she admitted. It had been a moment of weakness that she wasn't particularly proud of, but had a perverse need to share.

"Did you want to talk to her?" Red asked, knowing that sometimes Nicky did things just to hurt herself. She worked her way up the muscle and found another spot just a little bit higher. She began to work her thumb against it as she waited for Nicky to continue.

"No, not really. Ahh," she cried out as pain flared up her shoulder. "I just thought I should, ya know?"

Red started at the bottom of Nicky's other shoulder and repeated the process. She thought about what Nicky had said. There was no loyalty or disappointment in her tone. She sounded apathetic, but behind that - Red knew - Nicky felt defeated. "And what did she have to say?"

Nicky shrugged. "She didn't answer."

Red made a small humming noise of acknowledgment, but didn't push for more. Nicky would open up in her own time. She always did. Marka was a sore spot though and it was one that Red would never impose her own frustrations upon. It wasn't fair to Nicky for her to vocalize her anger. She knew Nicky would take it to heart and it was Marka she was angry at not Nicky.

"I left a voicemail. Not much, just Merry Christmas. I didn't even tell her I loved her. Why lie on Christmas, ya know?" Nicky reached for her phone, but dropped it in her lap when Red's fingers rolled the muscle in her shoulder.

Red chuckled, but stayed quiet. She moved her hands up to Nicky's neck and began to gently rub her hairline at the base of her scalp. She smiled when Nicky's head lolled forward and she moaned at how good it felt. The painful part was over for the time being.

"Get this," Nicky said, unlocking her phone and thumbing her way to her texts.

Red waited for Nicky to continue, but the younger woman was staring at her phone. "Everything okay?"

Nicky looked over her shoulder and grinned. She nodded and bit her bottom lip, trying to contain her excitement. "Vasily texted," she said.

"Oh?" Red asked with an arched brow. "What did he say?"

Looking back to her phone, Nicky read the message out loud. "He said, khlopotno bliznetsy, I hope everything is okay and you are well. Take care of mama tonight and enjoy your time together. Text me if you need anything - V'."

"What's it mean?" Nicky asked, knowing that all of the Reznikovs had started teasing her and slipping in bits of Russian making her figure them out. It always warmed her knowing that it was there way of not just accepting her or bringing her into the family, but teaching her their own ways.

Red began to laugh. "Ah, I'm not sure if you want to know," she teased.

"Please?" Nicky whined, knowing that Red could never deny her when she did. She liked Vasily. She would never say it out loud, but he was easily her favorite of the boys. They were the closest in age and like her, he tended to enjoy a bit of mischief and pushing Red's buttons.

"He called you his troublesome twin," Red said, squeezing Nicky's shoulders. "It's a good name for you two. You're both monsters," she teased.

Nicky grinned. She liked the idea. Looking back down at her phone she shot him back a quick response.

Suddenly remembering why she had her phone out in the first place she sighed. "So I left her a message," she said, voice slipping into a numbness that only showed itself at the mention of Marka. "She texted me back. _You too._ That was it. It took her just enough time to screen my call and listen to the voicemail for her to manage that."

She knew she sounded like she cared, but at this point it was more about reminding herself of how disposable she could be. It was a perverse need that she had developed and just couldn't seem to shake. When things got good and she found herself feeling happy, she called Marka.

Red stopped rubbing and reached down to her chin and tilted Nicky's head back. "If you want to reach out to her for yourself I would never be upset, but don't reach out to her just to punish yourself." She rubbed her hand gently against Nicky's cheek, looking at the innocent beauty beneath her. How anyone could know her girl and not fall in love was beyond Red's understanding.

"I don't know. Maybe it's about punishing her - reminding her that she has a daughter that she was supposed to care about." Nicky began to pick at her nails and fidget as her agitation started to build back up.

Red shook her head. "Oh no you don't," she said, squeezing her shoulders roughly. "I'm not working this tension out of you just so you can build it back up."

"Gah," Nicky yelped. She leaned forward trying to escape the pain, but Red didn't let up. "Dammit ma, that hurts."

"More than calling Marka?" she asked, seriously. She hated to see Nicky beat herself up.

Nicky sighed and slumped back against the couch. She reached back for one of Red's hands and covered it with her own. "Okay, yes it was to hurt myself. I wanted to remind myself why I didn't deserve you. I hated that you left, but I knew it was my fault. I just wanted her to tell me what a shit daughter I was, because I didn't want to hear it from you."

"Why the _fuck_ would I ever think that you were a shit daughter? That doesn't even make sense. You don't tell me why you do things and then you expect me to get upset about your reasons?" Red's voice was laced with frustration and disbelief. She tugged Nicky's hair - a true sign that it was time to pay attention. "You don't get to isolate yourself and hurt because you don't feel good enough. Not with me and not with her if I can help it."

Nicky turned around and laid her head on Red's lap. "I just... I was alone and I didn't want to be. I had lied to you and put myself in that position. I needed a place to put all that anger. Marka seemed like a safe bet. So, did my grandma."

Stroking Nicky's hair, Red listened to her explain. "Your grandmother?" Red asked curiously. Nicky had never mentioned her before. "Do you two get along or is she like Marka?"

"Sort of both I guess. She's like Marka, but only I'm not the disappointment. Marka is. We got along great when I was little. I didn't see her much because Marka couldn't stand her, but the times I did she was always very kind and loving towards me. She was attentive in a way Marka never could be."

"So you called her?" Red continued to play with her hair, gently running her nails across Nicky's scalp. She knew that there was still tightness in her shoulders, but for now they both needed to be close like this.

Nicky nodded and opened her eyes. She watched Red as she spoke. "She wished me a Merry Christmas, told me she loved me, told me my mother was an idiot, asked me if I'd been to mass, and that was about it."

"Mass huh? You're grandmother's Catholic?" It was another bit of trivia that Red hadn't known before. "I take it you used to go?"

Nicky chuckled and grinned. "Good little Catholic girl, not what you expected huh?"

"I have known many Catholic girls in my days and none of them were angels. It doesn't surprise me one bit." Now that Nicky's mood had brightened a bit, Red pushed her back around and dropped her hands to Nicky's shoulders once more.

"Well way to steal my fun. I wouldn't say I was raised that way, but Marka was bullied into putting forth the bare minimum, so there was some activity. My dad's side is jewish though so it was kind of back and forth between the two depending on who I was with. I used to go with my grandmother to mass for the big holidays. She used to say that if Marka couldn't manage to raise me in the church she could at least make sure I stayed an Easter/Christmas kind of Catholic."

"Easter/Christmas?" Red asked.

Nicky nodded. "Yeah, they're the big holidays - you don't skip 'em. The rest of the year is a little more excusable."

"I see," Red said. She was still working on where Nicky's shoulders met with her neck. The muscles were slowly getting softer and more pliable. "What about now? I don't think I ever saw you do anything for holidays at Litchfield."

"Yeah, I don't know. It never really felt like holidays there. Not in that way. I was never a big fan of Easter - although to be honest, I still give up something for Lent - sort of."

"Sort of?" Red asked.

"Well, you get to cheat on Sundays. At least, that was my grandma's rule." She chuckled softly. "Christmas on the other hand. There's something about midnight mass that just ... I know it's stupid, but it always kind of blew me away - like magic or something."

Now Red was both intrigued and confused. "It sounds like it was very special to you." She began to run her fingers through Nicky's hair, careful to not tug on the snares that she found. With careful fingers she pulled them apart and brushed the hair back into locks of curls.

"It was," Nicky said, smiling fondly. It had been such a long time since she had gone that the memories caught her by surprise. "You know, there wasn't a lot of emotional stability in my childhood. There wasn't a lot of peace either, not the good kind that makes you feel safe and secure. With Marka peace meant quiet and aloof."

"You know," Red said casually, "it's only 10." She playfully tugged on Nicky's hair signaling that behind her light words were a serious suggestion.

Nicky turned back to look at her, gripping Red's thighs in excitement. "You don't even believe in God," she pointed out. She wasn't about to get her hopes up just yet.

Red shrugged. "I believe... that there is something up there helping us out when it wants to. I found you didn't I?" she asked, running a finger reverently down Nicky's cheek. "Besides, it's something that seems important to you and that makes it important to me. Why don't you go get ready?"

"Really?" Nicky asked in disbelief. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to go, but as soon as Red suggested it she knew she needed to. Now, the idea of Red sharing that with her - for her, solidified her desire.

"Yes Nicky, really," Red said. She brushed Nicky off of her lap and stood.

Nicky followed suit and stood next to her. "We're going to be too late to get seats," she warned hesitantly. She didn't want Red to change her mind, but she wanted to be fair and warn her.

"I'll be okay," Red promised. "Now go on get ready."

XOXOXO

A/N: So, there it is. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks for reading : D


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